Welcome to the Exceptional Nurse Blog! I am Donna Maheady, EdD, ARNP, founder of www.ExceptionalNurse.com, the nonprofit resource committed to inclusion of people with disabilities in nursing. We facilitate inclusion of students with disabilities in nursing education programs and foster resilience and continued practice for nurses who are, or become, disabled. We celebrate abilities, share resources and examples of nurses with disabilities who work with and without accommodations.

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Saturday, August 20, 2016

A message for nurses with disabilities from Neil deGrasse Tyson, the astrophysicist

What could an astrophysicist have to say that could help or inspire nurses or nursing students with disabilities?

A brief glimpse into a fun, uplifting dialog with an 8 year old will shed light.

Neil deGrasse Tyson

During a question and answer session, a young girl asked Neil deGrasse Tyson:

"In your field do you have someone that is dyslexic?" His answer was spot on!

Neil deGrasse Tyson talked about how his colleagues and co-workers with ADD, dyslexia and autism spectrum disorder cope with not being what some people consider "normal". He stated, "having a learning disability doesn't mean you can't do the things you love. It just means you might do them a bit differently". He went on to share examples of how people compensate and adapt to the situations they are in. "If a person is dyslexic, they know they're a bit slower at reading, so they make extra time in their workday for reading.""Or, if a person has social anxiety, or isn't comfortable making small talk, or has trouble reading social cues, the great thing about the field of science is that it doesn't matter as much as the work you do."The resounding message was--